In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
